


The Stars and the Moon, He Hung Them Just For You

by Toothlesshoodie



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I love him, M/M, Minor Angst, Richie has anxiety, Social Anxiety, and old fucked up friends, bisexual richie, eddie is a sweetheart, there's a playlist too!, they work in a planetarium
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-10-22 00:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17652821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toothlesshoodie/pseuds/Toothlesshoodie
Summary: Richie Tozier was the disgrace of Derry when one of his "friends" outed him for being bisexual. After being attacked from left and right, Richie's family moves to California where they hope to have a fresh start. In an attempt to apologize to his parents for his sexuality and ultimate banishment, Richie gets a part-time job at the local museum's planetarium that will only stay open for a few months. There he meets Eddie, his incredibly attractive coworker.Richie is terrified of people, and being close to people, but he can't help but warm up to Eddie. But he's gonna get hurt, right?Socially anxious!Richie and eventual secret boyfriend!Eddie :)





	1. "Afraid"

**Author's Note:**

> There's a playlist!! The playlist is specifically going from Richie's pov to Eddie's (so like one song is Richie and the next is Eddie). I'll link it in the story!

Richie Tozier, in short, has lost everything. Right before he turned sixteen, Richie was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. At sixteen, Richie had lost any friends he managed to make because they didn’t find him worth the trouble, trouble meaning being anxious and bisexual. Somewhere between sixteen and seventeen, Richie’s grandparents died in a car accident and they had yet to find the person who hit them. Right before he turned seventeen, one of his old “friends” told the whole school that Richie was bi, it wasn’t taken kindly. At seventeen, Richie’s neighbors demanded that he and his family moved away because of Richie’s sexuality. Somewhere between seventeen and eighteen, Richie’s house had the word “Faggot” spray-painted across it in red. Right before he turned eighteen, Richie’s family moved from Derry, Maine to Los Angeles, California. At eighteen, Richie had lost everything.

Richie was hoping that he’d like California, nobody from Derry would end up here, nobody in California knew him. It was all hope though, he couldn’t help but feel even more anxious and terrified living in a new state. Yes, nobody knew him, but the price of that was awfully high.

Richie wasn’t coping in the healthiest way either. More often than not, he spent the day clutching onto his favorite pillow and tried not to cry. Maybe one day he’d hold his dog instead, but his dog, Timber, wasn’t big on cuddling, but she’d let him rest his head on her hips. At most, Richie will play background music.

The background music is an interesting mix of songs that he relates to, and love songs, the ones he wishes he had the balls to live. Richie, however, stopped listening to the lyrics of the songs long ago. Lately, he couldn’t even tell what song was on.

 _Gee_ , he thought, _for someone with anxiety, you sure are depressed._

But, Richie was getting his final hours of rest in. Richie had agreed with his parents to take up a part-time job at the local museum. The museum had been looking for people to sell tickets outside the planetarium, something that wouldn’t call for much social interaction and he wasn’t bound to keeping the job forever, considering it won’t be open very long. Richie thought his job was dumb, though, why would you pay for the planetarium when you’ve already paid for the museum tickets? But, Richie wouldn’t complain too much. The planetarium was only staying open up until the new year, and it was already October. As far as Richie knew, he was only going to be working with one other person. The thought of meeting a new person scared Richie, yes, but he couldn’t let his parents down. Not when they wanted this so bad.

For now, Richie decides to lay in his bed and play his favorite [music](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7K75sDJUL6zVTDkxo8QWJ6).

…

He’s up early at eight the next morning, but his shift doesn’t start until ten. He resists the urge to check his phone for notifications, after all, he doesn’t have friends to talk to anyway. At the foot of his bed, Timber starts to shift and wake up. Richie knows that in a matter of minutes, he’ll have to pull himself from his bed to let her outside to their new, “luxurious”, California backyard.

He doesn’t bother texting his parents and asking if they can let her out, he knows they’re already up and out of the house. His dad, Wentworth, already had a job, that was half the reason they even moved. Meanwhile, His mom, Maggie, was in the process of finding a job. Richie imagines she’ll do volunteer work for a short amount of time. Wentworth makes enough money on his own to support their family, Maggie had a job in Derry to give them the freedom to not worry about spending too much when they go out. Now, Richie has a job for the sake of getting his parents off his ass.

As predicted, Richie was dragging his feet as he walked to the sliding door that led to the backyard to let Timber out. It’s eight thirty by then, which was just enough time for him to eat and get ready for work. He’s quick to pull out a box of Lucky Charms and pour them into a bowl he nearly dropped. When he’s done pouring milk into the bowl, he gets a text from his mom.

**_Mom: Have an amazing first day! Make a friend!_ **

Richie sighs sadly and shakes his head. He wasn’t in the job to make friends, he didn’t even feel entirely comfortable with the idea of meeting the person he’ll be working with. With his long history of failed friendships, the last thing on his list was to try and meet someone. Granted, the person he’ll be working with could be different. There’s no way they’re from Derry, and there’s no way they’ll know who Richie even is. But the risk of being put through the same torture that he endured with his past friends was too great.

 _I won’t get attached._ He promised himself.

_I won’t._

…

Richie is early to work. About thirty minutes or so. He hated the idea of being late and making it seem like he wasn’t serious about working, even if he wasn’t. He decided to sit in his car for the remainder of the time he had left, but that felt even more awkward. The whole time he was messing with a scarf he had been crocheting for about a week with just his fingers. He had always preferred crocheting with his fingers, that way he could rely on the feeling of the yarn when he would poke and pull through the loops rather than watching to make sure he did it right. It made him proud, and he doesn’t get to feel that a whole lot.

When it was finally time to go in, Richie wanted to turn back. He definitely feels better not having to work with a whole crew of people barely out of high school, but he was still dreading the idea of meeting anyone. He kinda hoped the person he’d be working with would ignore him, maybe someone who is just as scared as he is so they’ll both just not talk. That’s just wishful thinking though, he knows he’s not that lucky.

As he walked into the building, he noticed how dead it was. Sure, it was a Monday morning and it’s a museum, but Richie could clearly tell the owners were definitely having a hard time attracting any guests. He didn’t like walking in the empty room, it made him feel awkward and uncomfortable, but the way to sign in was right across from him. In front of the _Employees Only_ room Richie had to go into was a man around his age in a white polo and black pants. The guy looked tired and bored, he was running his hand through his blonde curly hair and letting out a tired sigh when Richie reached him.

“Are you the new guy?” The man asked impatiently.

“Yes,” Richie nodded his head, “that’s me. Richie Tozier.” He stuck his hand out.

“Stan Uris.” Stan shook his hand, something that relieved Richie more than words could say, he was scared Stan wouldn’t even acknowledge it.

“Alright Richie, I already signed you in, I’m just walking you to the planetarium and showing you how to print the tickets.” Stan started walking off as he spoke, Richie almost tripped when he realized they were moving.

“Are you the manager?” Richie asked.

“Nope, I actually work in the front where the museum tickets are sold.”

“Oh. Will I be moved to the front in this job? Or am I just gonna sell planetarium tickets?”

“Well,” Stan scratched the back of his neck, the action made him look more human to Richie. “We’re not understaffed, actually we get a lot of people during the weekends, they pay us the most. But we’re not understaffed, and we probably won’t be anytime soon, and you’re only working until the planetarium closes. So chances are you’re really only gonna work back here.”

Richie was barely paying attention to Stan, he was observing the exhibits around them as they got there. He got the basics of it though, he’ll be with all the planets for the rest of the year. Good thing Richie adored space.

“Alright,” Stan said as they finally reached the ticket stands. Nothing fancy, they were really just two counters with cash registers and small printers. But, with the layout, Richie knew he would have to be closer than expected with his coworker.

“Let me get you set up-”

“Wait.” Richie said, putting his hands up, “do you know who I’ll be working next to?”

Stan opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off by a woman walking towards them with red hair and a boy trailing behind her.

“Stan!” The girl called his name. She was in the same outfit as Stan, Richie immediately assumed that she was another employee.

“Bev, I assume you have the other new guy?” Stan asked. Bev rolled her eyes and slapped a hand onto his shoulder.

“Don’t be so uptight! Yeah, this is Eddie.”

Eddie was shyly standing next to Bev, he’s looking up but not meeting anyone’s eyes. He looks nervous, Richie can relate to that. Eddie has soft brown hair that lies just above his eyes, he’s got tan skin with faint freckles spread all throughout his face. He’s short, shorter than Richie at least, but he looks like he would be able to take Richie down in a matter of seconds. Richie tries not to think about the other details of Eddie, like how soft his lips look and how impossibly attractive he is. It takes Richie a few seconds to realize that Eddie’s soft brown eyes have found his own blue ones. Richie jumps back a bit, embarrassed from being caught, and his cheeks go a dark red. His mind races with a million thoughts along the lines of _oh god I hope he doesn’t think I’m a creep, oh shit-_ but all of it is cut off when he hears Eddie giggle. He giggles.

“Alright, let’s get started.” Stan declares as Bev walks away in the direction they came in.

 _I don’t think I’m ready._ Richie thinks, and he knows he’s not thinking about the job.

…

“If you don’t have any questions, I’ll head back now,” Stan says. They didn’t spend much time learning the equipment, it was all very simple honestly. Neither of the two had many questions, all of Richie’s questions were answered earlier and Eddie seemed to already know the situation. Both boys watched in silence as Stan walked away until he was out of sight.

Now Richie actually had to interact with Eddie.

Oh god.

“Stan seems nice,” Eddie mumbles quietly. He’s looking down at his hands and fidgeting with his fingers.

“Oh, yeah he seems pretty cool,” Richie responds dryly, cringing at himself when it comes out.

There’s another beat of uncomfortable silence before Eddie actually looks at Richie and makes another effort. He holds his hand out and smiles warmly.

“I’m Eddie.” He says softly, it makes Richie feel a little less anxious about the situation.

“I know.” Richie blurts before he can stop himself. “Wait- no, I mean- I do know, I heard the girl- Bev?- introduce you to Stan and me-”

Then Eddie is giggling again, hand covering his mouth and a smile that reaches his eyes. Normally Richie would think that Eddie is laughing at him, but with his genuine and kind everything about Eddie is, he doesn’t dare think that.

“I’m Richie.” He eventually says quietly, he takes Eddie’s hand and shakes it gently. Eddie gives him another soft smile.

“Nice to meet you, Richie.”

“Yeah… you too.” 


	2. Starry Eyes

“Where are you from, Richie?” Eddie asks with a polite tone, Richie assumes Eddie is only really being nice because it’s their first day. 

 

“Uh… Maine.” Richie replied, purposely making his response dry of details. Derry wasn’t anything special anyway, slap on his past and it’s an even worse topic of discussion. 

 

“Yeah? I lived in Maine for some time, Derry to be specific. My family moved when I had barely started my first year in high school.” 

 

_ Oh. Shit, he lived in Derry once?  _ A piece of Richie doesn’t believe it, he’s sure he would’ve met and remembered Eddie, it’s a small town after all. Maybe they had met once, there wasn’t exactly a range of options when it came to putting a kid in school in Derry unless he was homeschooled. 

 

“Oh, yeah I’ve… been to Derry. Didn’t like it very much.” That last part was barely above a whisper. He didn’t really mean to lie about his status in Derry, but his past wasn’t something he even comfortable thinking about anymore. Plus, what kind of first impression is that giving his new coworker? He’d actually like Eddie to think he’s normal. 

 

“As far as I remember, Derry was terrible. Everyone had something they hated, apparently, they hated my family the entire time I lived there.” Eddie’s voice was a little off at the end, something Richie wasn’t sure of, confusion? Sadness? It wasn’t much like the polite tone he had in his voice before. 

 

“Oh… uh, sorry.” Richie added, he wasn’t really sure how to respond, and he was deathly afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

 

“Don’t be, I ended up living in New York for a long time. My family wanted me to attend college there but I kinda wanted a change of pace, I figured California would be… more accepting.” 

 

Eddie’s expression was unreadable again for Richie. He wasn’t exactly sure what to make of that, what it might mean. Richie didn’t ask though, he didn’t even let himself linger on the thought for too long because he’s afraid of giving into what the back of his mind is screaming at him. He’s gotta keep his mind in check, that meant nothing. Being…  _ that  _ was dirty, and Richie couldn’t hope that Eddie was dirty, that’s wrong. 

 

“Have any friends, Rich?” Eddie asked gently. He was resting his head on his hand that was supporting itself on his elbow. 

 

“No…” Richie admitted trying not to sound ashamed of his answer. Eddie’s features softened, maybe with pity, but Richie wouldn’t know. Nobody ever feels bad for him, he doesn’t even know what that looks like. 

 

“Consider me your first, okay?” 

 

_ Eddie… wants to be my friend?  _

He tenses up at the mere idea of it, but looking into Eddie’s eyes, seeing something he’s never seen before, he can’t say no. 

 

“Okay.”

 

…

 

“What’s your favorite song, Rich?” Eddie asked. It was the next day, Richie and Eddie’s second shift in a job that Richie was slowly figuring out.

 

Of course, he wasn’t figuring out  _ just  _ the job. 

 

Turns out, Eddie doesn’t have friends either. He met someone in his apartment complex named Ben, but that’s it. Richie was actually the only person he had spoken to the whole time he lived there, which, to be fair, was only two weeks. Still, Eddie, in Richie’s mind, could be friends with anyone he wants, Richie wonders why he would even consider choosing him. Probably because they’re coworkers, right?

 

“My favorite song… changes very easily.” Richie says slowly. Honestly, he really wants to avoid the question altogether, he doesn’t want to be judged for his music taste. Last time Richie told anyone his favorite song, he was called a fag, and that was before he came out. 

 

“Yeah? Mine too. What’s your current favorite song?”

 

Richie scratched the back of his neck, Eddie was really leaving him no option, and there’s no way he could say no to someone at this point. He really had no excuse. Richie wonders if he’d be able to say no if he was a different person, but he doesn’t dwell on it for long, Eddie is waiting. 

 

“I… really like the song Dreaming of You… by Cigarettes After Sex.” He stumbled on that last word, he kinda forgot the band name could be distasteful to some people. But Eddie didn’t notice, his face lit up instead. 

 

“Wait really? My favorite song is Starry Eyes by Cigarettes After Sex!” 

 

_ Oh. Oh!  _ That’s not what Richie was expecting at  _ all.  _ He was expecting a weird look and awkward silence, that’s what he was used to. He was so shocked, he almost didn’t respond to Eddie.

 

“R-Really?” Richie squeaked out, “I… nobody really knows who they are.” 

 

Eddie shrugs, his smile still bright and apparent on his face. “Well, sometimes that makes bonding over it a little more special.”

 

“We’re bonding?” Richie blurted out before he could stop himself. His face went a bright pink when he realized what he said, but once again, Eddie’s giggling directed his attention elsewhere. 

 

“I guess we are.”

 

They both looked down with shy, content smiles, and fell into a comfortable silence. One of the first comfortable silences Richie had ever been in. 

 

“So, Dreaming of You, huh?” Eddie said, still looking down. “Dreaming of anyone, Rich?”  

 

Richie didn’t respond right away. He thought for a second, he thought about his experiences with relationships. No crushes to his history, no friends to stick around, nobody to remember. Richie hadn’t been dreaming of anyone, but looking at Eddie, being friends with Eddie, Richie thinks that maybe that will all change. 

 

“I’m kidding, Richie.” Eddie huffs out a laugh when Richie doesn’t respond, “you don’t need to answer.” 

 

Richie sighs and nods his head, but the fear of him actually dreaming of Eddie floats in his mind. 

 

…

 

Eddie came in the next day with a smile on his face and a skip in his step, it made Richie curious, but he scolded himself in his mind for even looking at Eddie. Eddie quickly got behind the cash register and dug into the backpack he brought every day to work and pulled out a few papers with words Richie couldn’t properly see. Richie wondered if Eddie had something on his mind, in the past few days they had been working together, Eddie always came in happily. But this was extra happy, something Richie hasn’t seen before. 

 

“Hey, Rich,” Eddie said, calling Richie out of his own head. 

 

“Sorry…” Richie mumbled, feeling a little ashamed that he wasn’t paying attention to Eddie.  _ Shit, that was rude, wasn’t it? Come on, good friends don’t ignore their friends. Does he think I was ignoring him? Should I ask him? No wait, don’t do that, that’s stupid- _

 

“Don’t apologize, you were in your own little world there,” Eddie said with a lopsided smile that made Richie feel… confused. He was never allowed to get away with that with people before, they’d call him stupid and rude, he’d be lucky if they only spared a glare in his direction. 

 

“But anyway, I made this list last night for you.” Eddie handed over the papers he had in his bag. Richie took them slowly, not really sure what exactly was going on. When he looked over the words on the lined paper, he realized they were songs. 

 

**_Blackout Control - Spendtime Palace_ **

 

**_Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys_ **

 

**_Boys Got to Go - BRONCHO_ **

 

**_Honey - III Spector_ **

**_Lemon Boy - Cavetown_ **

 

**_Void - The Neighborhood_ **

 

The list goes on. 

 

Richie looks up at Eddie with shock written all over his face. He’s heard some of these songs before, but knowing that Eddie made something for him, even if it’s just a list, it does something to him. Gives him hope.

 

“Thank you.” Richie breathes quietly, Eddie barely catches onto what he says. How genuine his words are caught Eddie a little off guard, he sounds like he’s never been given anything in his whole life. Richie doesn’t know, but that detail breaks his heart a little. 

 

“You’re… You’re welcome.” Eddie says, and Richie hopes he knows that one list just made Richie’s whole year.  _ He  _ made Richie’s whole year. 

 

…

 

“You ever been in a planetarium before?” Eddie asks. He’s looking behind him at the entrance to the planetarium with a bored expression. It’s late on a Friday night, normally the two would’ve gone home by then, like the people who can actually operate the planetarium. Unfortunately, the boss man (Stan) told the two that the museum was gonna be opened later due to some interview bullshit that the mayor would be doing. The actual boss wanted at least one person from every “station” to stay behind and redirect people to the interview in case they’d wander off and get lost. Richie thought it was bullshit, but he didn’t say anything. Eddie almost did, he’s like a firecracker in Richie’s eyes, ready to pop. 

 

“No,” Richie shakes his head. He knows he wants to explain to Eddie that there were none in his hometown, but sharing details made a red light in his mind go off. Plus, he didn’t wanna say too much and bore Eddie. 

 

Eddie nods his head and hums, “yeah me neither, wanna check it out?” 

 

Richie’s jaw dropped and his voice was caught in his throat.  _ Sneak in? Is this guy crazy?  _

 

“Awe, come on, Rich!” Eddie slightly whined, “nobody has even come back here! We’d be fine, trust me.” 

 

Richie had never done anything rebellious before as a kid. When he was young, he was always cautious not to do something that would upset his mom, but he was torn between that option and not being called a “little bitch” by his peers. He’s still caught between that now, he doesn’t wanna get in trouble, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Eddie thinking he was a little bitch. He wanted Eddie to like him, he wanted Eddie to treat him like he has this whole time. 

 

“O-Okay…” Richie says weakly, the nerves in his voice apparent, and it didn’t go over Eddie’s head. Eddie looked at him with stern, serious eyes, and then they soften.

 

“Rich, we don’t have to go in. I’m just bored but if it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to go in.” 

 

_ No!  _ He cries out in his mind,  _ man up Tozier! You can do this.  _

 

“It’s… it’s okay. I’ll go,” Richie mumbles, his brows knit together like he’s trying to convince himself of his own words. 

 

Eddie doesn’t move for a straight minute. His eyes study Richie’s expression and body language, not that Richie could tell, but Eddie was concerned. Hesitantly, Eddie nods his head. “Alright, Rich, but I shit you not if you get uncomfortable I’m yanking you out of there.” 

 

Richie doesn’t answer him then. Instead, he thinks about why Eddie is so concerned about how he feels. He’s been wondering it ever since Eddie spoke to him, why would Eddie care so much about Richie? Is this what friends do? Richie knows that he cares about Eddie, and Eddie says they’re friends, so it must be what friends do. But still, Richie doesn’t feel like he deserves it, it’s kinda hard for him to go from everyone hating his guts to someone actually being nice to him. 

 

“Come on, Richie,” Eddie wraps his hand gently around Richie’s wrist, making him flinch. Eddie notices too because he pulls his hand back. “It’ll be okay.” 

 

_ It’ll be okay.  _ Richie likes that, he’s not sure why, but it made him feel… safe. 

 

“Okay.” 

 

The inside of the planetarium was dark, almost pitch black. If it wasn’t for the flashlight on Eddie’s phone, they wouldn’t be able to see a thing. Eddie led the way inside, Richie trailed behind him trying to resist the urge to grab onto any part of Eddie. He didn’t wanna touch him in a romantic way really, he wanted to touch him because being in such a dark, unfamiliar place was scaring him, and Richie didn’t do so great when he was scared. 

 

As they walked to the controls, Richie nearly slipped on his own shoelace, which freaked him out way more than he’d care to admit. Of course, he just  _ had  _ to let out a cry of fear, and Eddie just  _ had  _ to hear it. 

 

“Shit, Rich you okay?” Eddie asked turning around and shining his flashlight on Richie, who looked like he had seen a ghost. He was trembling and biting his lip, if he said something like “oh no I’m okay,” he’d laugh in his own face, it’s clear he’s probably gonna cry.

 

_ Oh no, no, no. I can’t cry!  _

 

“Richie, let’s go back, this was stupid, I’m sorry.” Eddie grabbed his wrist again, gentler than the last time and easy to break out of. But Eddie doesn’t realize that his simple touch was enough for Richie to halt some of his worries, it made his trembling stop.  _ Oh shit, but he’s still trying to get us out of here.  _

 

“Eddie…” Richie whimpered quietly, “I… I wanna do it. I can do it.” 

 

Eddie turned around and watched his expression like he did before they decided to do this in the first place. Richie tried to ignore his own thoughts of  _ my glasses definitely make my eyes bigger, he’s probably thinking it looks weird,  _ or  _ am I making the wrong expression? Do I still look scared shitless?  _

 

“You’re a brave one, huh Rich?” Eddie breathes out with a comforting smile. 

 

“W-What?” Richie squeaks out. 

 

Eddie giggled, “come on, I know where the controls are. We’re gonna see space tonight, Rich.” 

 

Richie nodded, still completely confused by Eddie’s previous statement. Eddie walked over to the controls, still loosely holding Richie’s wrist. Richie followed him, as expected, but with less hesitation. He watches silently as Eddie reads over the labels above the switches, figuring out which one would actually turn on the stars without the sound that goes with it. After a minute or two, Richie stares directly at Eddie’s face, he can barely see it because of the lighting, but Richie’s fascinated. He’s so focused, yet excited about the situation, his tongue is slightly poking out the side of his mouth and one eyebrow is raised in confusion. Richie doesn’t even notice he figures out the switch until the bright light of the stars flashes brighter than the sun. 

 

“Shit!” Eddie cries out with a laugh. Richie feels the same, but he doesn’t vocalize it. He won’t lie though, the shock was thrilling, even if the entire situation was terrifying. 

  
  
  


**“** That was way brighter than I thought it was gonna be,” Eddie says with the laughter still apparent in his voice. Richie wishes he could be that carefree, but he tries not to think about it at that time. Instead, he focuses on the stars displayed above. 

 

“I… I like it,” Richie admits, not entirely sure how to express himself. 

 

“They look nicer here than they do in the city,” Eddie states. Richie thinks it’s ironic how stars displayed on the ceiling look better than they do from the ground outside, and he wishes he could say that, but he doesn’t. He thinks Eddie would laugh though. 

 

The stars are beautiful, he’d admit that. The galaxy displayed above comes in so many different colors, Richie doesn’t think he can name them all. The stars litter across the “sky” like the freckles on his cheeks, he thinks they’re his favorite part. The constellations are outlined and labeled, at that moment, Richie realized just how many he had never seen before. The stars are his favorite, and then he looks down at Eddie, and he isn’t looking at any of the stars. 

 

He’s looking at Richie. 

 

“They, uh, reflect off your glasses,” Eddie says, adding a fake cough at the end. His cheeks are tinted red, it makes Richie wanna blush too. 

 

“Oh,” Richie nods, not sure what to say. 

 

“Yeah,” Eddie chuckles a little, “starry eyes, huh?” 

 

Then Richie smiles, recalling how Eddie told him that was his favorite song. They don’t speak after that, they fall into a comfortable silence and watch the stars. 

 

And little does Richie know, Eddie is still watching him, feeling something beautiful blossom in his chest. 


	3. I Wanna Be Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't... my best chapter, and it's way shorter but I hope you all like it! I swear I'll be writing better chapters once I finally get to my favorite part of the story!

Richie thought about the planetarium a lot after that night. He thought about how bright the stars were, how quickly his fear melted away to amazement, and how Eddie looked at him.

Richie tried not to think about that detail, he really did, but he couldn’t deny how his stomach flutters with nerves when he even gives it a seconds thought. It made him feel… mixed emotions. On one hand, he feels dirty, he feels the entire population of Derry’s judgmental glares at once. He feels the need to apologize to his family, curl up on his bed and sob. But on the other hand, he’s never felt so cared for, so appreciated to someone who wasn’t his family. Important to someone he didn’t need to be important to. Eddie’s face told him he mattered, told him that he was worth something. Richie loved the feeling, but he pushed both feelings down as far as he could. He couldn’t be dirty like before, he didn’t wanna lose that feeling of acceptance because of it.

He didn’t wanna lose Eddie.

On Monday morning, Eddie was late to work. Richie has been working with him for about three weeks at that point, which isn’t very long, but Eddie had never been late. He always showed up at ten o'clock with a bright smile and a new story to tell. When Richie checks the clock, it reads eleven o’clock.

As expected, Richie started to worry. He always had a habit for assuming the worst, it was kind of his talent. Things like car accidents and murder ran through his head causing the big red internal alarm to go off. He would’ve texted Eddie, after all, he had his number, but he didn’t want to annoy Eddie. He didn’t want Eddie to be angry at Richie if he’s angry at all.

As he continued to go over the possible emergencies that Eddie could be facing, Eddie showed up around the corner. To say Richie was relieved was an understatement, but it didn’t last long, because Eddie looked like death. Completely ruined. He didn’t have the normal skip in his step and smile on his face. He was slouching as he walked, his hair was a mess, his eye bags were darker than Richie’s hair, and his eyes drooped like they had their own sense of despair. Richie thought so highly of Eddie, he never really thought of how he would look when he’s down.

Eddie came up behind the register and buried his face in his hands. He let out a frustrated groan that made Richie flinch. Richie knew it was an irrational fear, but he wondered if he was the one who made Eddie mad. He knows that’s a bit of a stretch, but Eddie has a life outside of work that Richie doesn’t know about. Maybe he’s annoyed because of Richie, maybe Richie said something he didn’t mean to, maybe-

Richie stopped thinking when Eddie looked up at him with red eyes. Crying no doubt, Richie knows all too well what post crying looks like, the difference is he thinks Eddie still looks as cute as before. Of course, he fights against the word “cute.”

“Sorry,” Eddie mumbles, “I don’t mean to cry here.”

“It’s okay…” Richie says quietly. He knows better than anyone that it’s hard to hide your tears.

“I just-” Eddie started, but stopped to out another frustrated groan. Clearly, a lot was on his mind. Richie couldn’t help but feel curious about it, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask if he was okay. It wasn’t his business. He couldn’t ask, it’s not right. But Richie figured he was gonna find out real soon what’s going on, especially when Eddie softly speaks his name.

“Richie?” Eddie whispered, quiet and scared. A tone Richie would know from anywhere.

“Yes?”

A pause.

“I’m gay.”

Richie didn’t react right away. He froze, taking time to process his words but overall failing. Eddie was gay, but Richie never thought Eddie was dirty before. Eddie was… he was good. He was so so good. But what if Richie only wanted to think he was good because… no, he wouldn’t allow himself to think that.

“Last night… My mom brought a girl named Myra to our house. She wanted me to… click with her. Go out with her. But she knows I’m gay, she fucking knows it.” Eddie stops for a second, hesitant to say what’s really on his mind. But he does, because Eddie isn’t afraid to hide his emotions. “She told me she didn’t want me working here… because of you.”

_"Because of you." Because of you, Eddie will leave. Because of you, Eddie is dirty._

“I…” Richie chokes. How could he let this happen? He didn’t push himself onto Eddie, he didn’t flirt with him, or do anything! How could he of made Eddie dirty like this? “I’m sorr-”

“Don’t,” Eddie says quickly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But-”

“Richie,” his voice sounds defeated. “I left Derry because they hated me. Not my family. They all thought I was gay without me even saying it, I never came out to anyone in Derry. I was bullied, abused, and discriminated. I didn’t tell my mom I was gay until we were on the road to California. That didn’t end well… Derry told me I was dirty, something to be ashamed of, but I’m not. I know I’m not dirty, and I won’t let them treat me like I am.”

Eddie pauses again. His breathing is shaky, uneven, and scared. Richie can’t help but feel the same way. _“Derry told me I was dirty,” what does that mean? Is being gay not dirty? Can one person really change what an entire town of people say?_

“I’m not afraid of what the world says. If being gay makes me happy, how wrong can it be?”

_“If being gay makes me happy, how wrong can it be?”_

“I’m tired of living with the judgment of the world, though. I’m tired of the world breathing down my neck for… loving differently.” When he says that last part, he looks at Richie. His eyes are desperate for approval, still red with old tears, and scared of what Richie will say. So, so scared.

At that moment, Richie wonders if liking boys can really be as bad as he thinks.

“You’re right.”

The words terrify Richie more than words can say, but he can’t find it to argue against Eddie. Not when it’s a losing argument. Not when Richie agrees.

Eddie’s smile isn’t as blindingly bright as his usual ones, but it still makes Richie’s heart dip. His hug makes Richie feel like he’s on cloud nine. He’s hesitant to wrap his arms around Eddie’s smaller frame, so he’s very gentle with the way he holds him. Even when Eddie pulls away and changes the subject, Richie still thinks about the words Eddie said. He thinks about what they mean, why it’s affecting him so much.

  
…

Richie’s laying on his back in the dead of night with headphones in and his dog laying by his side. It was somewhere between twelve o’clock pm and three o’clock am, Richie always found these hours to be the ones he spent contemplating the most in. He usually associates it with repressed memories and long headaches from powerful crying. But tonight, he feels something he hasn’t felt in a very, very long time.

Hope.

He thinks about what Eddie said, he thinks about how much it makes sense. Why does the world discriminate people for who they love? On top of that, is Derry really the world? There has to be people out there like Richie and Eddie, people who accept them for who they are and not reject them for who they love. Of course, Richie has never actually been in love, but he’s always felt attraction.

_Attraction is how I figured out I was bi. He reasons, what’s wrong with a little attraction? It’s not hurting anyone, well, neither is love. But love is different. Attraction is the step to liking someone, those are also two different things. Like… I’m attracted to Eddie._

Even thinking about it makes his cheeks go pink, it gives him the overwhelming urge to apologize for even thinking about it.

_But! Attraction is just liking looks! Like, I think Eddie is… cute, but I don’t think about his personality that way. Well, I do like his personality, he’s very headstrong and brave. All while being kind and thoughtful- No wait, I can’t like Eddie!_

He sits up with a beet red face, his ears are even heating up from the thought of it.

_I can’t like him! We work together! And- and being gay is… me being gay is dirty. I can’t like Eddie! He’s just someone who tolerates me… respects my boundaries… treats me like a person. He cares about me._

Richie thinks about it for a few minutes longer.

_Maybe… maybe being gay is okay._

Even if he’s not totally convinced (after all, it’s hard to unlearn years of what the world beat down on him), Richie feels the most at ease with his sexuality than he ever had. And he has Eddie to thank for it. Maybe, just maybe, he likes Eddie. 


	4. My Kind of Man

Richie was packing his things into his backpack after work one Friday night. It had been earlier that week when Eddie confessed everything to Richie, and he thought about it every moment he was with him. He still repressed his feelings for Eddie, and he was still uncertain about how he really felt regarding his sexuality. Richie especially didn’t mention it to his parents, he was deathly afraid of telling them about how he feels, the last thing he needed was for them to start packing their bags again. He kept all his feelings to himself, as he always had. 

 

As he slung his backpack over his shoulder, he felt a smaller hand grab his elbow. He didn’t flinch this time though, Richie found that he loved being touched by Eddie. He was hesitant to relax into his touches, but he always found a sort of comfort in it. Comforted by the idea of someone wanting to touch him. 

 

“Hey, uh…” Eddie cleared his throat, “I’m kinda alone tonight… not kinda- I am alone tonight. A-and I’m not alone very often, see, and I was wondering… Do you wanna come over?”

 

Ah, Richie hadn’t actually been to someone else’s house since he was in elementary school. He doesn’t remember who, but he remembers having a good time, having fun and all that jazz. Richie didn’t know at the time, but his friend’s parents would call his parents and complain about how loud he was, how rude his jokes could be and how dirty of a child he was. The description didn’t fit the current Richie at all. Funny enough, Richie was a wild child all those years ago. He would bounce off the walls and never get tired. He lived off ice cream and gummy worms and nobody could stop him. Richie wonders sometimes if that same boy lives underneath all the anxiety built up in his past, but at this point, he doesn’t think he’d fit the role anymore. 

 

However, Richie started to feel… happier around Eddie. He remained skeptical, and he didn’t speak too much, but Richie started to relax around Eddie. He felt safe around Eddie, and Richie never felt safe around people that weren’t his own parents in years. Shocking himself, Richie said the following words:

 

“I- yes. Yes, I do.” 

 

…

 

After sending a frantic text to his parents about how he was being kept behind for work purposes, Richie followed Eddie to his house that wasn’t too far from the museum. Richie felt grateful that he walked that morning as well, also that he didn’t have to trust Eddie to drive him safely. Richie thought of himself as the most nervous passenger ever in a car, and he really wasn’t sure if he wanted Eddie to see that side of him. 

 

“I’m gonna be honest,” Eddie breathed out, “I didn’t think you’d actually come with me…” 

 

Richie shifted his head to look at Eddie. Eddie looked… relieved, excited even. It threw Richie for a loop in his own mind because he never thought Eddie would wanna hang out with him outside of work. He barely thought Eddie wanted to see him at work anyway. 

 

“You’re very nice,” Richie started slowly, “it’s hard to not wanna be around nice people.” 

 

Eddie smiles and nods his head as he turns to look back at the street. Richie feels a little proud at the fact that he could make Eddie smile. Richie thinks about how he wants to make Eddie smile more, how he wants to be the one who makes him smile like that. He tries to push those thoughts away though, he doesn’t make jokes like he used to. Richie used to love to make jokes, he couldn’t go a few minutes without spewing some sort of joke out of his loud, braced up mouth. But, Jokes had a nasty habit of getting his glasses broken and his nose bloodied. Eventually, he couldn’t even find strength in himself to make jokes. But Eddie’s smile makes him want to, he makes him wanna laugh again. 

 

“This could still totally be a kidnapping, though.” Richie blurts before he can even think about what he’s saying. 

 

Eddie pauses for a second, his face is unreadable. In a matter of seconds, Richie’s mind bounces from  _ I never should’ve said that,  _ to,  _ wait, is this a kidnapping?  _ He stops thinking as hard when he sees Eddie’s face split into a grin and those sweet giggles spill from his lips. 

 

“Didn’t know you could joke,” Eddie said between his giggles. Relief washes over Richie like a hot shower, and he relishes in the fact that he made Eddie smile again. He nods his head and surprisingly smiles himself. 

 

“I guess I can,” he says, his voice airy and relaxed. Something his voice rarely sounds like. 

 

“C’mon,” Eddie says, his voice mirroring Richie’s own, “this is my place.” 

 

Eddie’s house was nice. It had clean wood floors, white walls, huge windows, and pretty lighting. Richie thinks it suits Eddie, all of it except for the size. The house was pretty big, suited for a family of four or five no doubt. It was obvious that Eddie’s two-person family didn’t need a house this big, but he wouldn’t mention it. Maybe that was a dumb thing to pick up on.

 

“Your house is very nice,” Richie says, this time his voice is at a normal level rather than whispering, and relaxed all the same. 

 

“Thanks, it’s so big I get lost sometimes,” he chuckles. “My room? Or stay here?”

 

“Uh… you choose,” Richie mutters, he’s not very skilled in decision making. 

 

Eddie hums lightly and nods his head a bit, putting on a fake show of deciding what they were gonna do, but he already knew what he wanted. 

 

“My room? I have a tv up there, and I guarantee my bed is more comfortable than a plastic covered couch.” Eddie gestured to the couch right next to them, one that Richie swore he saw once upon a time in his grandma’s house.

 

Richie laughs, there’s no doubt that’d be terribly uncomfortable. “I’ll go where you go.” 

 

Eddie doesn’t respond, he’s watching Richie with an admirable look nobody has ever given him before. Richie feels like he should say something, but there’s just something in the way his eyes shine that stops him from saying anything at all. It’s Eddie to eventually breaks the silence.

 

“I like your laugh,” he says almost dreamily. Richie twisted his head slightly to the right, nobody had ever liked his laugh before. People usually rolled their eyes at Richie’s laugh, told him to shut up. Most people moved as far away from him as they could when he laughed. Now here’s Eddie Kaspbrak, one of the sweetest people in the entire world, telling Richie Tozier, one of the most annoying people in the world (as he’s been told), that he likes his laugh.

 

“Uh…” Richie swallowed the lump in his throat, “I like to laugh.” It was true, although he rarely laughed anymore, he still loved it when he did. 

 

“Why don’t you laugh more?” Richie felt wonder in his voice, not childlike, but just wonder. Why doesn’t he laugh? Why is a different side of Richie poking out tonight? What is he really like? Richie wishes he knew the answer to that last question more than Eddie.

 

“Ask me another time, okay?” Eddie nods, then he strolls into the kitchen. 

 

“I figure we can watch a movie, I have a bit of a collection upstairs but I’ll be honest half of it is Star Wars.” 

 

Richie felt his heart swoop with excitement. “Wait you have Star Wars? Like, the original three?” 

 

Eddie got visibly excited too, his eyes lit up and his mouth curled upwards into a bright smile. “Of course I do! You wanna watch them?” 

 

“Well, y’know, only if you want to-” 

 

“Rich, how can I say no when your eyes light up like that? Plus, I didn’t buy them so they can look pretty on my shelf.” 

 

Richie laughed again, and it felt so good. Eddie nodded his head at nothing, then started pulling snacks out of his pantry. 

 

…

 

“Okay, be honest,” Eddie said through giggles he couldn’t contain. “Which Star Wars movie is the gayest?” 

 

Richie barked out a laugh at his question, he was holding his sides and his stomach was cramping up from laughing so hard. It had to of been at least three hours at this point, they were into their second movie and somehow Eddie had gotten Richie to laugh like he never had. Richie felt incredible too, he felt invincible, like the words from his past could never hurt him again because Eddie Kaspbrak is here and Eddie Kaspbrak thinks he’s funny and lovable and accepts Richie as his friend. Richie’s never felt so giddy, so free. 

 

“A New Hope! Obviously, Luke can’t keep it in his pants when he looks at Han!” 

 

Eddie’s whole body is wrecked from the laugh he lets out, it shakes him from the bottom to the top and Richie swears in his drunk-on-happiness state that nobody has ever looked more adorable than him. 

 

“Han is such a chaotic bisexual, he literally has a thing for both these twins it’s amazing.” 

 

Richie’s giggles slow down when he hears Eddie mention being bisexual. Richie had wondered since Eddie’s break down at work if bisexuality was included in the list of things that were okay as far as sexuality went, Eddie never mentioned it, and Richie was always too afraid to ask. But here and now, Richie feels brave enough to ask.

 

“You think he’s bisexual?” Richie asks slowly. 

 

Eddie tilts his head to the side a bit, his smile never faltering but his eyes did soften. 

 

“Anyone can be bisexual, if anyone is, it’s Han Solo.” 

 

Richie smiles again. Slowly, he rests his head on Eddie’s lap and giggles more into them, tickling Eddie mercilessly but Eddie never told him to move. Richie never felt so at bliss before, and he never wanted it to end. 

 

He doesn’t even realize when he’s fallen asleep. 


	5. Dreaming of You

Richie opened his eyes and blinked once, then twice. For a second, everything felt peaceful, warm, perfect. Then that second ended, and Richie immediately realized that he wasn’t home. He shot up in bed, Eddie’s bed to be exact, and felt a million thoughts run through his head. The most obvious one being the fact that he wasn’t home and as far as he knew he neglected to tell his parents about it. Hell, Richie didn’t even know where his phone was at that point. So overwhelmed with fear and loud thoughts, Richie felt tears run down his cheeks before he even realized his eyes were welling up. He threw his hands up into his hair and held his head down, struggling to conceal his small whimpers and hiccups that he was desperate to let out. 

 

He kept crying and rocking back and forth in the small bed until he felt two smaller hands cover his own. The smaller pair moved Richie’s hands down from his head and onto his cheeks. There, he was gently pulled up to meet two concerned doe eyes that he had seen every day for the past two months

 

“Richie? Richie, I need you to breathe for me, okay?” Eddie asked gently and calmly, but his scared eyes gave away his true emotions. 

 

“C-can’t!” Richie squeaked out, louder than he thought he could. 

 

Eddie shook his head and grabbed Richie’s head a tad bit tighter. “Yes you can, you can do it. I’ll do it with you, okay?” 

 

Richie choked on another sob and only cried harder, disappointed in himself for not being able to let Eddie help. There was too much on his mind, so many things he wanted to express to Eddie and explain. He couldn’t calm down, he couldn’t stop worrying. 

 

“M-My pa-parents!” Richie wheezed out. Without realizing it, Richie started to cling onto Eddie’s arm and hold onto the smaller boy tight. If he had half the mind to realize it, he would be embarrassed and jump away immediately, hoping that Eddie didn’t think he was weird or gross. Eddie didn’t though, in fact, seeing Richie crumble and hold onto Eddie like he’d disappear broke Eddie’s heart. He couldn’t imagine making Richie get off or leaving him like this. 

 

“Rich, I texted them last night, okay? Your phone was blowing up so I texted them myself and told them you were staying here. They know where you are.” Eddie dropped his hands from Richie’s face and wrapped them around his shoulders, letting Richie cry into his chest and process the information. “Richie, I need you to breathe with me, okay?”

 

Richie hacked out another shuttering sob but he nodded. He wasn’t totally relieved, he was still trying to make sense of how Eddie even got into his phone quite honestly. But it did turn the red light in his head off, and Richie felt like he could at least try and breathe again. He subconsciously grabbed onto Eddie tighter and waited for Eddie’s instructions. 

 

“Alright, inhale-” shakey inhale. “Exhale-” exhale but Richie coughs and cries some more. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay, inhale-” another shakey inhale. “Exhale-” still crying, but less, and only one cough. 

 

“You’re doing great,” Eddie encouraged throughout the process. At some point, he started running his fingers through Richie’s hair, something he knew soothed himself and so he hoped it would do the same for Richie. 

 

Eventually, Richie did stop crying. It was all reduced to hushed whimpers, loud breathing, and sniffles. This was the part that scared Richie the most, and ironically, isn’t the one he’s crying over. He’s scared to have to face Eddie. What will he say? He must think Richie is crazy. But what if he doesn’t? What if Eddie thinks  _ he  _ did something wrong and he doesn’t wanna see Richie out of embarrassment? What if Richie made him feel bad? What if- 

 

“Richie? Are you okay now?” Eddie asked, still running his fingers through the taller boy’s hair. Richie desperately wanted to keep his face hidden in Eddie’s clothed chest, pretending to be asleep, but he knew he’d have to face it sooner or later. Richie never wanted to hide things from Eddie, because Eddie was his friend and he’d never want to lose him. 

 

Slowly, Richie raised his head and met Eddie’s eyes. A flash of self-consciousness hit Richie when he realized that his eyes must be puffy and red and just plain gross. He must look like an idiot. 

 

“Hey there,” Eddie whispered. A warm smile spread on Eddie’s face and for a second Richie thought everything would be okay, and he really liked that thought. 

 

“I…” Richie started but failed, not knowing what to say. “Eddie… I know I have explaining to do… and I-” 

 

“Rich,” Eddie cut him off, “no you don’t.” 

 

Richie didn’t speak for a second. Every time he cries in front of people, they always ask what’s wrong and they always dig for an explanation even when Richie isn’t ready. But that was about a total of three people, and Richie wasn’t really sure how to react or what to expect with this stuff. It certainly wasn’t the Eddie approach. 

 

“You don’t need to tell me anything. I know you’re not ready, if you were you would’ve told me long before now. Are you okay now?” 

 

Richie nods. 

 

“That’s all that matters. What do you want to do now? You can stay here for a while, or you can go home. We’re not working tonight.” 

 

Richie knows what he wants, and it’s embarrassing. No, he doesn’t wanna go home, he can’t imagine what his parents will say and he’s not ready to face the music. He wants to stay, he wants to be with Eddie, but not just with Eddie.

 

“Can… Can you hold me?” Richie whispers, feeling weak, stupid, pathetic. All the things people would call him if they saw him now. The things he’d expect Eddie to say if he didn’t know by then that Eddie wasn’t like that. Because Eddie wasn’t, Eddie wasn’t terrible like those other people. At least if he’s rejected, he’s rejected kindly. 

 

But he’s not. 

 

“Ye-yeah,” Eddie stutters, his face is blushing and Richie wonders why. “I can hold you.” 

 

Once they’re laying down, Richie being the little spoon in Eddie’s arms, Richie can’t stop his thoughts. His thoughts of Eddie, his thoughts of how nobody ever cared to help him out of a panic attack, his thoughts of how Eddie treats him like a human and not a walking mental illness. How Eddie is holding him, how Eddie treats him. How Richie thinks that he’s never felt so cared for before, and how Richie wants to kiss Eddie. 

 

How Richie says that out loud. 

 

“You… you want to what?” Eddie squeaks out. He doesn’t sit up, he doesn’t move Richie, but the way his body went tense tells Richie that Eddie definitely heard him and how he’s totally fucked. Richie yanks his body away from Eddie, scared of what he’ll say and thinking it’d be too awkward to explain still being held. 

 

“Wait no- I just- I do but- damnit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I just don’t wanna freak you out and I don’t only see you as attractive and-” 

 

“Richie, shut up.”

 

And before he knows it, Eddie’s lips are on his own. 


	6. First Time He Kissed A Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the chapter you've been waiting for!

Richie had never been kissed before. He’s dreamt about it, not with a specific person but just the feeling. He wondered if his first kiss would be magical, if it would be disgusting, if it would be mind-blowing. He hoped he would kiss someone because he liked them, not because of a shitty dare or if god forbid he one day get drunk. Funny enough, considering his anxiety, Richie always hoped that someone else would initiate the kiss. Not because he didn’t think he’d be good, not because he was scared of mixing up the signals (although he was truly terrified of both), but because he wanted to feel loved. He wanted to get lost the moment that somebody’s lips collided with his own, he wanted to be cared for. 

 

With Eddie Kaspbrak’s lips dancing on his own, he can’t help but think that he got everything he wanted, and so much more. 

 

It took Richie a second to process that  _ Eddie is kissing me oh my god he’s kissing me _ , but when he did he was quick to kiss Eddie right back. Richie, still being in Eddie’s arms, held on tighter and pulled him closer to his skinnier frame. He felt Eddie let out a breath of a laugh against Richie’s lips then go back to moving against them. 

 

Eventually, they had to pull back for breath, but Richie wouldn’t of minded a few seconds more of the wonderful feeling. Sucking in a few seconds worth of breath, Eddie met Richie’s blissed-out face and immediately went several shades of red. 

 

“Oh my god,” Eddie said before he could catch himself. “Oh my god, I kissed you!” 

 

Richie felt a familiar sense of dread dance at the edge of his anxiety, though he tried to push it away long enough to have a coherent conversation with Eddie. 

 

“Did… did you not... want to?” Richie asked, feeling his false confidence quickly draining from his body. 

 

“No! I mean, yes, I did but-but you’re not gay?” 

 

Oh, the gay question. For a second there, Richie forgot that he fights with his sexuality. He was so focused on what he wanted to do, he forgot that he needs reasons for them and that his reason was mostly made up of what adults believed to be a dirty sin.

 

“I’m… I’m bi,” Richie whispered. He looked down at his hands resting in his lap and sighed, he wanted to avoid telling Eddie forever but it looks like life doesn’t work that way. Fortunately for Richie, Eddie doesn’t say anything else, he just leans up and kisses Richie again. A softer kiss this time, one that Richie melts into easily. Eddie sits up a little higher and wraps his arms around Richie’s neck. From there, his hands sneak into Richie’s hair and play with the loose curls, making Richie’s face heat up in the best way possible. When they separate, Eddie is the first one to speak again.

 

“Richie, I like you,” he blurts out. “I really, really like you.” 

 

For a second, Richie doesn’t say anything, he just looks into Eddie’s eyes and watches how nervous the boy clearly is, and how adorable Richie finds it, even though he feels the same way. 

 

“I like you too,” Richie says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I think… I think I’ve liked you since I met you.” 

 

Eddie lets out a giggle of pure joy, something that Richie swears he could hear over and over again and never get tired of. They kiss again, and though it’s nothing different than the other two kisses, Richie feels like it’s nothing he’s ever felt before. This time, when Eddie pulls away, Richie is completely left speechless. 

 

“Be my boyfriend?” 

 

…

 

The first thing Richie saw when he opened the door to his house was Timber, who was already standing at the door since she had heard the jingle of the keys in Richie’s hand. Next, he saw his two parents sitting on the couch watching god knows what, obviously awaiting their son’s arrival but trying to be subtle. Richie obviously still felt bad for what happened, and the way his body shook was a clear sign of him still being afraid of their reactions. Truth be told, if the events that had occurred in the past two hours hadn’t occurred, Richie would be ten times more scared to see his parents than he was currently. 

 

“Richie,” Maggie said, relief painted all over her face and in her tone. “How was your… sleepover?” 

 

_ “You… you want me to be your boyfriend?” Richie asked, his voice was breathy and his tone was complete and utter disbelief. Still, he smiled and even laughed a little. It made Eddie smile right back and peck his lips. Something that he may or may not have become addicted to.  _

 

_ “I’ve wanted you to be my boyfriend since the night in the planetarium,” Eddie admits.  _

 

“It… it was a good sleepover,” Richie tells his parents. Wentworth and Maggie turn to each other and share a look that seems to only be understandable between the two. They always said they were soulmates.

 

“Richie,” Wentworth starts, “why didn’t you tell us that you… made a friend?”

 

Richie winces inwardly from how awkward the statement was, especially since they weren’t exactly friends anymore. 

 

_ “Of… of course,” Richie giggled out, “of course I’ll be your boyfriend.”  _

 

“I didn’t want you… didn’t want you to worry about the thing that happened in Derry happening here.” 

 

It’s a tense moment, all eyes are on Richie and he confessed the one thing they hadn’t talked about since they moved. Richie swore he could cry, he was even getting ready to grab a few tissues, but then Maggie spoke.

 

“Richie, darling, you know why we moved out here?” 

 

Richie nods his head, “to escape the harassment.” 

 

Wentworth shakes his head, “your mother and I can handle a bit of harassment from a judgmental town. We moved so you could have a better start in life, a chance to meet better people in a bigger city where one person’s business isn’t everybody’s business.”

 

Richie slowly walked towards the couch where his parents were sitting. Maggie patted a spot between the two and Richie sat down right between them. They both pulled Richie into a three-person hug, making Richie start to cry but smile anyway. 

 

“We want you to make friends, love,” Maggie said, kissing the top of her son’s head, “and we don’t want you to worry about us. No matter what, we’ll be here to love and support you.” 

 

“I love you guys,” Richie whispered. 

 

“We love you too.” 

 

…

 

**_Eddie <3: See you at work tomorrow x_ **

 

Richie’s heart and stomach flip when he sees the text, and he’s never been so happy to feel it. 

 

**_Richie x: Looking forward to it <3_ **


	7. Nothing's Gonna Hurt You, Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha so hello it's me.   
> First of all, so sorry for the delay, but at least it wasn't a cliff hanger right? I actually went on an unplanned hiatus because my baby sister was born and naturally I found her to be much more important than this story. But now I'm back, the whole story is planned and I will update every Sunday (unless something comes up). Enjoy!

Walking into work shouldn’t be much different than any other normal day. In fact, everything is exactly the way he left it the past Friday. The building was in the same order as before, the same people were clocking in for their shifts and even leaving for their early lunch break. To any normal person, this looks like an average day for the museum, and it was! The only reason today was so special was because Richie Tozier was waltzing in with the promise of being able to see his amazingly fantastic new boyfriend. Sure, it had only been a few hours but Richie couldn’t take it! How could anybody suddenly get the cutest boyfriend ever and then not wanna spend every moment of the day with them?

As expected, Richie quickly lost his train of thought the minute he turned the corner and saw perfect Eddie Kaspbrak’s face almost completely slam into his own.

“Shit!” Richie cried out as he stumbled backward before he could collide with him. He felt his face heat up when he met Eddie’s… interestingly slanted eyes.

“S-Sorry, Eds, I-” in an instant, Eddie’s lips were on Richie’s. Richie almost fell straight to the ground with how forceful the sudden kiss was, but he was quick to move his lips right against Eddie’s. Richie felt himself moan into the kiss, after all, it was a damn good kiss. He wonders how Eddie became such a damn good kisser, but something tells him and his ego that he might not want to ask that question.

“Wow,” Richie gasped when they pulled apart, making Eddie let out the precious giggle he loved so much.

“Wow yourself,” Eddie said with a dreamy sigh in his voice. “I missed you.”

“You miss me after a night?” Richie chuckled a little, he almost didn’t believe that, but he never doubts Eddie. Eddie and his unfamiliar, addicting touch and perfect everything. He believes it. He believes anything Eddie would say to him.

“What can I say? You’re addicting,” Eddie whispers before leaning in and pressing their lips against each other one last time. It’s a shorter kiss, but it leaves Richie light in the head and in his step. When they pull away, Richie slides his hand right into Eddie’s and smiles.

“You don’t seem very up to the challenge of having a secret relationship,” he giggles. Truthfully, he thinks it’s cute Eddie can’t keep his hands to himself already, but he’d hate to get caught during their first day dating at work.

“Baby, I can take on any challenge for you.”

…

“Okay, that’ll be $13.45 please,” Richie spoke sweetly to the guest. A month ago he had trouble speaking to them at all, but Eddie’s subtle coaching between customers really made things easier. He can’t truly show Eddie how thankful he is for it, but he guesses he can pay Eddie back in kisses.

Speaking of Eddie, the boy is absolutely lovesick. He rests his head on his right hand and watches Richie hand the woman in front of him her change and acts like it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. Not that Richie hates it, quite the opposite actually, he just can’t help but think about how he’s doing a poor job of hiding their relationship.

“Have a great time,” Richie tells the guest as they walk past him into the doors that are quick to shut behind her, given that she’s the last customer for the current show time.

“I’m terrible at this, aren’t I?” Eddie asks when he hears the click of the door. Richie throws his head back and barks out a laugh.

“Yeah, but that’s okay,” he promises, sending Eddie a wink that lights both their faces up in a blush.

“I like when you joke,” Eddie admits quietly, taking initiative and walking towards his boyfriend. “It suits you, y’know? Laughing, joking, enjoying yourself. All of it fits you.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, Richie doesn’t think someone’s kind words are being pulled from pure pity. For once, he feels like the words are genuine and he can’t find it in himself to ask if Eddie is lying. Because, why would him, Eddie Perfect-Angel Kaspbrak, lie to Richie?

“You bring it out of me, Eds.”

…

Another show time was starting, which meant another swarm of guests were rushing to get tickets and good seats before it started. Most guests looked the same every time, Richie began to characterize them into groups. First, there’s the tired mom with six-thousand kids that occasionally gets an attitude with him, they’re the worst visitors and often get kicked out for their kid’s rowdy behavior. The next is a split between two different teenagers, the first teenager is the one who is there because they’re genuinely interested in the exhibit and actually likes astrology, Richie likes this teenager. The next is the teenager who openly shits on other people for not getting off their phones and enjoy what’s right in front of them, they’re the same person who brags about reading classic books and hates any other book that isn’t some Shakespearean play they can’t understand. Richie hates that teenager and hates when they talk to him. Another category is a more miscellaneous category, consisting of kids on a field trip or two people on a sweet date (that reminds Richie all too much of that one day in the planetarium with Eddie), they’re probably the better category. Now, Richie’s least favorite category isn’t a category at all, it’s this new regular who only comes in for a few minutes of flirting with Eddie.

Richie hates him.

The guy, Jacob, is back on this particular day, and of course, he’s waiting in Eddie’s longer line even though Richie’s line has half the people in it. Richie feels a little better about hating this guy today because the last time he saw his ugly mug he wasn’t dating Eddie. Well, now Eddie is his boyfriend and he’ll let himself shoot daggers at him.

“Eddie!” Jacob exclaims loudly, making Richie cringe and glare harder. Luckily, he was the last visitor for the show time, so Eddie really only had to get through him so they can start talking again.

“Oh, hi,” Eddie says nicely but with no emotion behind it. Eddie himself may or may not of told Richie that Jacob annoys him, and Richie doesn’t know it but Jacob really only annoyed Eddie because he is head over heels for Richie.

“How have you been? Don’t say fantastic, I mean, you’re still working here,” Jacob laughed as he handed Eddie his money. Richie really hoped none of their bosses were around to hear that, god knows they won’t understand and assume Eddie hates his job.

“Oh, it’s not all bad.” Eddie said, taking money from Jacob’s hand, “I’ve met some pretty fantastic people here.”

Richie looks over and sees Eddie smiling right at his boyfriend, and Richie feels his stomach do flips.

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve met some interesting customers.” Eddie rolls his eyes at Jacob’s remark which makes Richie chuckle. He’s gotta admit, the way Eddie reacts to people makes Richie fall deeper and deeper for his boyfriend.

“You should really join me in the planetarium sometime, Eddie. I mean, you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be nice.”

“I’m working, but thanks,” Eddie says bluntly, handing Jacob his ticket without being kind or gentle.

“Oh, I’m sure your friend here wouldn’t mind.” Jacob insists, looking over at Richie and smirking as if he knows Richie’s into Eddie. Too bad he didn’t know that Richie was literally dating Eddie.

“Your show is starting,” Richie stated calmly, though he felt heat boil in his head and stood taller than Jacob, hoping to intimidate him even if it was cheesy and stupid.

Jacob looked over to Eddie expectantly, but Eddie only nodded his head to the door as a way to send him off. Jacob sighed and dropped his horrible smirk and walked off, leaving the two boys alone and giggling once the door shut.

“God, I hate him,” Eddie said with a smile and walked over to his boyfriend to pull him into a hug. Richie giggled a little more and wrapped his arms around Eddie’s smaller body.

“Me too, he’s lucky I didn’t kiss you right in the middle of that.” Eddie barks out a laugh and nods his head, Richie feels so lucky to hear his laughs and giggles again. He loves them so much.

Maybe he loves something else too.

Or, maybe someone. 


	8. Honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride month!
> 
> I'm officially off hiatus! School is over and I'm completely free so I will be back and I swear I will finish this story!   
> Please enjoy this fluff filled chapter!

“I think the diner scene is a little cheesy,” Eddie said in a teasing tone, hoping to get some sort of cute, blushy reaction from his boyfriend. 

 

“I think your rainbow pin is a little cheesy, but I’m not complaining,” Richie teased back, though he thought the rainbow pin on his shirt was adorable. 

 

“How will the boys know I’m interested?”

 

“I think they see the tall guy by your side and immediately assume you’re not interested.”

 

“Oh? What makes you so attractive?” 

 

“You should ask my boyfriend, he picked me out, after all.”

 

“Sounds like a smart guy, fantastic taste.”

 

Richie can’t help but adore these moments with Eddie. Teasing, laughing, light-hearted jokes and a sense of normalcy. Sure, the diner they’re in isn’t exactly the most well known. It’s right down the street from the museum and gets about three customers at a time. They didn’t choose the most obvious place to sit, it’s a booth way in the back that nobody can see entirely unless they were seeking them out. And maybe they had a tendency to break away when someone walked too close or the waitress came to bring their food. So, it’s not the straight couple normal, but it was normal enough for Richie, and Richie can honestly say he might love the normal. 

 

“Y’know,” Eddie starts, “diner dates usually have milkshakes involved.” 

 

“Well, the movies have a lot of money for those kinds of scenes, Eds.” 

 

…

 

“Alright,” Richie sighs, planting his scrawny ass on the hot beach sand. “We will stay here.” 

 

Eddie watched Richie pout with an unimpressed expression painted on his face, one Richie recognizes as amused and amazed, but not amazed in a good way. 

 

“I just wanna be near the water,” Eddie said with a chuckle.

 

“I burn very easily, but if you  _ need  _ to be near the water, I guess I have no choice.” 

 

“We have an umbrella.” 

 

“I have… big stubborn syndrome.” 

 

“You have big baby syndrome.” 

 

The museum rarely lets them have days off, which is fair because they don’t even work what’s considered to be a full day. The only reason they got the day off is because the planetarium had a bit of a break down that would take at least three days to finish. Lucky for the boys, it broke down on Saturday which gave them an entire weekend to plan a day for their second date and an empty beach was calling their name. 

 

“Hey, Eds?” Richie called out to his boyfriend who was just putting the final touches on their set up.

 

“What’s up?” 

 

Richie rolled onto his stomach and smiled up at his smaller boyfriend who was currently putting their umbrella in the perfect sun-blocking position. “How many relationships have you been in?”

 

Eddie stopped for a split moment and looked Richie in the eyes before bursting out into hysterical laughter. 

 

“What’re you laughing about?” Richie said in a way that Eddie could just hear the pout in his voice. 

 

Eddie shook his head and planted a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek, “I just think it’s funny how you think I was lucky enough to get a date.” 

 

“Lucky?” Richie squeaked, “anyone is lucky enough to even speak to you! You seriously mean to tell me nobody even asked you out?” 

 

Eddie sighed and shook his head again, “well, there was one guy but it was a joke in the end. Not really all that disappointing though, he wasn’t anything special, turns out he was a dick in the end anyway.” 

 

Richie frowns and pulls Eddie down for a gentle kiss that made Eddie’s heart flutter. It’s a simple three-second kiss but it leaves both of them red in the face when they pull away. Richie has a thousand things he wants to say to Eddie when he’s just staring into his eyes, but he can’t imagine anything he has to say making the situation any better. 

 

“Rich,” Eddie says with honey dripping from his voice, “I wanna see the boardwalk.” 

 

So they did, despite the fact that they were struggling to set up at all. Eddie insisted that their stuff wouldn’t be messed with considering it’s just a simple towel and umbrella. The boardwalk wasn’t much, it had a few stores lined up every few feet or so and at the very end there was a classy diner that Richie assumed they’d eat in. 

 

Richie found the small stores pretty adorable, the people that ran them had the brightest personalities and they always had a wide smile. The stores have toys lined up from shelf to shelf, and, although they’re for kids, Richie can’t help but want them all. Eventually, they walk into a store that’s more clothes centric that has hideous clothing. 

 

“It looks like a group of tourists threw up in here,” Eddie said when they walked in.

 

“Dunno, Eds, I think you could rock the fanny pack here,” Richie snickered as he tugged on one hanging next to Eddie. 

 

“Fanny packs are the least embarrassing thing here,” Eddie said with a huff and crossed his arms. 

 

“Oh yeah?” Richie waddled a few steps over and pulled a white and blue Hawaiian shirt off a rack and held it over himself. “I think this right here is the shit.” 

 

“Fuck off, you would not buy that.” 

 

“Wanna bet?” Richie smirked and shuffled his hands in his pocket until he was pulling out one ten and five dollar bill. Eddie watched him with an arched eyebrow and challenging eyes, he really didn’t think Richie would do it! Of course, Eddie’s smug appearance disappeared once Richie walked up to the cashier with the money and shirt in hand. Then he turned back to Eddie with a receipt, the shirt tossed over his shoulder, and the proudest smile a man has ever seen. 

 

They ran out of the store giggling like little kids. Once they got outside, Eddie gave Richie a half-hearted punch on the arm and let out a laugh that turned multiple heads. 

 

“You’re an insane man, Richard Tozier,” Eddie stated with a beaming smile.

 

“I’m only insane if I put it on,” Richie tore the tag on the shirt off. It didn’t take him long to throw on the shirt over his plain white t-shirt, and he didn’t want to button it up either, instead opting to wear it as a hoodie of some sort. 

 

“How do I look?” Richie asked with his arms stretched out as if to present himself to Eddie. Eddie didn’t exactly expect the breath to be totally knocked out of his lungs when he saw his boyfriend. And, by “saw his boyfriend,” he  _ really  _ saw his boyfriend. His boyfriend who had wild curls that went in every direction and make him look like he just got out of bed. His boyfriend who wore chunky glasses with thick frames because he can’t see for the life of him but holy  _ shit  _ it makes his beautiful blue eyes stand out. His boyfriend who just bought the ugliest thing he’s ever seen, and yet, it makes Eddie’s heart beat faster and his cheeks heat up. It makes Richie look like the real Richie, not the Richie who doesn’t speak or put himself out there. It’s the Richie who jokes, the Richie who teases Eddie to no end, the Richie who can make anyone’s day better by just talking to them. 

 

“You,” Eddie said softly, “you look like… you.” 

 

Maybe Richie didn’t totally understand what Eddie was saying, but he wasn’t complaining when his lips were connected with Eddie’s own a few seconds later. 

 

They forgot their umbrella and towel by the time they left.

 

…

 

“I think that fish has a receding hairline.”

 

“Rich, fish don’t have hair.”

 

“Somebody better tell that poor fish that!” 

 

The aquarium is a cheesy date, both the boys could admit it, but there was two very good reasons for going. The first reason was it’s a date, they’re allowed to be cheesy, and plus it’s them! They were gonna spend quality time together and that’s all that matters. The second reason was because Eddie was painfully curious about how his boyfriend would behave in an aquarium. 

 

“It’s probably a dad fish, y’know how dads really rock that look,” Eddie said and Richie nodded his head like it was the wisest thing he ever heard. 

 

“Guess I can call the fish Wentworth?” Richie suggested then immediately giggled at his own joke. 

 

Richie is wearing a Hawaiian shirt again, but it’s not the one he bought on the boardwalk. A few days after the boardwalk date, Richie went down to the mall and found a cheap store with the ugly Hawaiian patterns he felt so drawn to. He bought more than he was expecting to but he didn’t care, he rarely did anything he liked without worrying about what people will think. Truth be told, he only felt confident in the outfit choices because Eddie seemed to like them. He hugged Richie more when he wore one, his eyes would form little hearts when he saw Richie in a new pattern. Richie didn’t know how addicting someone’s attention could be. And, okay, maybe he shouldn’t be looking for someone’s approval like that, but after years of having nothing but judging glares thrown at him for literally anything he did, he thinks he deserves this much. 

 

“I wanna name that fish Button,” Richie blurted out to Eddie without taking his eyes off the tank. 

 

“Button? That’s really cute, but why?”

 

“Because it’s small, like you, and you’re cute as a button!” 

 

Eddie scoffs and shoves Richie a little bit (even though he’s laughing along to it). These past few weeks Richie has been beaming. He hasn’t been afraid to laugh so loud people stare or make jokes that he feared would fall flat, and they never did. It was amazing for everybody in Richie’s life to see. His parents often wondered what made their son smile so bright they had to squint, but they didn’t ask. Whatever it is, they hoped it continued and never stopped. Even Stan had noticed the change in Richie’s behavior, but he never asked because he never spoke more than three words at a time. Eddie often finds himself wondering if this is the best Richie has ever felt  _ ever _ . Once again, he didn’t ask, but if he did, Richie would tell him with no hesitation that it is.

 

“Come here!” Richie cried out suddenly. He yanked Eddie over to what looked like a hole in the wall. It was a small dome that dented into the aquarium tank, no doubt for little kids. The dome was made entirely of glass so someone could climb in and feel like they were in the tank itself, and suddenly it became clear to Eddie what Richie was planning to do. 

 

“You wanna actually climb in that thing?!” Eddie squeaked. 

 

“Hell yeah! It’s gonna be cool, Eds, just climb on in!” Richie immediately got his lanky body into position to crawl into the dome. Eddie watched him in shock for a minute, wondering if his boyfriend was stupid and if he could fit in there with him. He didn’t really watch for much longer because Richie was quickly situated into a sitting position and patted the Eddie sized empty space in front of him. 

 

“The things I do for you, Rich,” Eddie mumbled as he got on his knees and crawled into the space. It was a little awkward for them both, especially when Eddie sort of stepped on Richie’s hand, but eventually Eddie perfectly fit, and he was glad he did. The fishes were interesting and all, but the way the blue of the water reflected on Richie’s features made his heart swoop and the need to kiss him overcome anything else in his mind. Richie looked like he was thinking the same thing about Eddie. 

 

“Eddie?” Richie called out softly. 

 

“Yeah?” 

 

Richie leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on Eddie’s lips, one that only lasted a second but made Eddie swear he was falling in love. 

 

“You make me so happy,” Richie breathed out and smiled warmly because he knows he’s falling in love with Eddie. 

 

“You make me happy too,” Eddie whispers and smiles just as bright. 

 

They sit in the dome for just a few moments longer before Richie asked, “so, how’re we getting out?” 


End file.
